STRATEGIC VISION DOCUMENT (DRAFT) MIGRATION IN TURKEY CONFERENCE Transformation of Opportunity and Risks in the Country from Emigrant to Immigrant ( 20-22 April 2016, Pullman Istanbul Hotel, Istanbul ) European Countries, had been destroyed at the end of World War 2 and started intensive work to regroup their economic power. In this process, they tended to the Eastern European Countries with the cause of lack of internal recruitment to ensure the development. Turkey has started to send workers to Europe in 1961 with its first agreement. The workers who migrated to Europe from Turkey in the peak periods of economic distress, have gone to foreign lands to create their own capital, earn enough money to cover the needs or establish the business. This migration has been continuing with the causes such as family reunion and education or intensification of social and political tremors in Turkey in the 1970 s and 1980 s after the finalizing of the States foreign labor recruitment. The opinions which are the Turkish citizen emigrant workers are parts of the country which they live in, their return trends was decreased and established the Turkish Diaspora for Turkey, has been adopted by both Turkish community abroad and Turkey. Size of Turkish Diaspora has exceeded 5Milion people in Europe. This number is more than the population of some European countries. In recent times, economical contribution of the Turkish Diaspora to their country which they live in is one of the important discussion. The number of Turkish companies in Europe is around 140,000. These businesses provide employment to about 640,000 people and total annual turnover of these has exceeded 50Bilion Euros. According to the latest statistics, consumption expenditures of Turk in Western Europe was 22.7Bilion Euros. Turkish citizens ties with their homeland since the day they go abroad have kept strictly and they have made huge effort to live and keep alive their culture in the countries where they live in. They protect the unity via civil society organizations that they created, they made serious efforts to hand down the next generations of Turkish culture. Thus, the new generation of Turkish community has maintained the relations with Turkey and the own cultural identity. Today, an important part of Turkish community living abroad are residing permanently in their host countries and took citizenship of the country they live in as well. It began to seen a different impact on the relations between Turkey and the Turkish community that live, educate and work in European countries. Their impacts such as their education, using and diverting experience and knowledge about their working subjects, are also being discussed. One of the main discussion in Turkey was brain drain in a while ago but nowadays the reviews and studies with the discourse, that this issue was reversed, have begun to come into prominence.
People who live in neighbor and far countries of east of Turkey, are escaping towards the welfare from their region where chaos, conflict and economic crisis are happening. Turkey s geopolitical position requires to enter into this situation. Turkey is a bridge between people that forced to escape from their country and live and making the future in Europe. Lots of people is trying to reach Europe passing through the territory of Turkish from conflict in the Middle East and Asia. Also, Turkey live some negativity with the cause of these irregular migrants which can be passed through Turkey to Europe and can not be passed and stay in Turkey. The fight against irregular migration is no longer a matter of can overcome the country on their own. In this context, nations have tended to continue this struggle with creating binary, regional and global groups. At the beginning of the effective method of international cooperation in combating irregular migration process "Readmission Agreements" are so important. Although these agreements make it mandatory for countries to take measures against irregular migration and they allows irregular migrants to be sent to own country in a worthy way of humanity. In this context, Turkey has signed Readmission Agreements with Syria (2001), Greece (2001), Kyrgyzstan (2003), Romania (2004), Ukraine (2005), Pakistan (2010), Russia (2011), Nigeria (2011), Bosnia and Herzegovina (2012), Yemen (2012), Turkey (2012), Belarus (2013), Montenegro (2013) and the European Union (2013). Turkey also, take part in many multilateral projects to reduce the problems of the migrants and prevent to irregular migration. Also Turkey is in migration movement as a destination country for a while with the causes of growing economy, rising stability and increasing political image. Returning of Turkish citizens who go abroad years ago and asylum of people who must escape from neighbor country to Turkey, compare a migration toward inside. Finally, conflict and chaos in our neighboring countries (Georgia, Iraq, Syria, etc.) caused people to enter the territory of Turkey in large masses. Researches and studies about matter in Turkey past and future as protector of the mass movement which is rare in the history of the world, have been started. Largest immigration movement towards Turkey has been accrued from Syria. Turkey protected the Syrians who escape from the country due to the civil war and the threat of terrorism in responsibility from the history and gave "temporary protected status" to these asylum seekers who register with the decision taken by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in October 2011. As date of July 2015, according to official figures 1,9 Million; nonofficial figures more than 2 Million Syrian immigrants live in Turkey. Some economic, social and political effects of this immigrant population in Turkey can be expected. Republic of Turkey, has taken the presidency of Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) since 1 July 2014 with the causes of containing migration process and effectiveness in international studies and organizations. In this presidential process that until the end of 2015, Turkey declared that it would to grasp the dynamics of migration and concentrate on the conversion it to an element for development. In the year 2015, as a result of many events with this theme, the Global Meeting was held in November with hosting of Turkey. Also international migration was one of the subjects during G20 Antalya Summit in 15-16 November 2015.
In this context, TASAM will organize an event for discuss what happened and what can be experience in the immigration process in Turkey with participation of academic, politic, economic, bureaucratic coteries. Considering that the Republic of Turkey is always associated with international migration, it is expected that knowledge and experience of the State shed light on the future. At the end of the event, it is aimed at the creation of output that can be effective in the determination of Turkey's official migration policy and migration sourced internal / foreign policies, development of policies that may affect the relations between Turkey and the EU - neighbor countries. It is thought to contribute to the realistic base of binary and multilateral relations with participating in the discussion of migration issue that one of the important subject of Turkey's internal and foreign policy. Four sub-themes were determined in the framework of this event. These titles are in order in accordance with the main theme and they give opportunity to evaluation of migration in Turkey as emigrant, transit and target country. Main Theme Transformation of Opportunity and Risks in the Country from Emigrant to Immigrant Sub - Themes Turkey and Turks in Europe (Relations with Turkey; Effects of Turkish Foreign Policies to Turkish Community in Europe; Diasporization of Turkish Communities; Elitization Process of the Diasporas in Host Countries) Turkey as a Bridge Country (Legal Sanctions to Illegal Immıgrants to Europe via Turkey; Human Trafficking; Processes Experienced with Neighboring Countries) Turkey as a Target Country (Political, Social and Economic Consequences of Turkey's Protectorate of Syrian and Iraqi Refugees; Status of People Who Came to Turkey for Education or Employment) Official Migration Policies of Turkey (Past and Present of the State's Official Immigration Policy; Plans for Migration to or from Turkey; Coordination of International Organizations on Migration Issues; Integration with the International Text)
EVENTS (DRAFT) Method Epagoge, Participation and Specialization Preparation Workshop ( General ) Processes, Institutions, People Wise People Board Meetings It will be carried out for dominate to Migration Concept and Vision in Turkey with knowledge and experience of wise people board which will be basis of scientific committee. Workshops Multilateral workshops in parallel with sub-themes will be held. Migration in Turkey Conference According to the results of the workshop, the international event will be held in the framework of sub-themes. Other Academic Studies Academic studies such as Migration Rapport, Books, Essays, Thesis; and TV Programs, Media Conferences